It’s the subject of World Cup corruption allegations and the world’s richest nation per capita. What’s it really like?

Temperatures in Doha hit 46 degrees this week. Across the Qatari capital, life is slowing down. Frazzled expatriates creep from one air-conditioned space to the next, cowering from the sun staring back from the city’s glass towers and whitewashed walls. The beaches are emptying and commercial work has slackened as the tiny Arab state prepares for the mass summer exodus when Qataris and expatriates alike decamp to cooler climes. The talk everywhere is of holiday plans. Or it was until the latest allegations of bribery levelled at Qatar’s controversial bid to host the 2022 World Cup sent a shiver of